Method of tipping lacings



Jan. 11, 1927. C. A. MATSON METHOD OF TIPPING LACINGS 2 Smears-Shem 1 Filed March 14 1924- Patented Jan. 11, 1927.

ED TAT ES PATENT omen.

CARLA. MKTSONyOFLYN-NFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGN- MENTS, 1 0 SHOE-SAGE COMPANY, LTD., OF PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND, A COR- PORATION OF RHODE- ISLAND.

.IVIIFYII-ILOD 0F TIBI ING LACINGS.

Application filed larch 14, 1924. Serial No. 699,343.

present invention relates to laces, a d

more particularly to an improved method oftipping laces, such as shoe laces and the like.

In my'copending application, Serial N 0. ($65,338, filed Sept. 28, 1923, I have described and claimed an improved machine for applying tipping material to a fabric lacing, such tipping materialbeing noninetallic in character. The invention forming the subject matter of the present application relates to'an improved method of tipping laces and is adapted to bec'arried out most economically by a machine such as is described and claimed in my c'opendin'g application above referred to. 7

I-Ieretofore, and before my development in this art, laces have been tipped with mate'- rial, either metallic or non-metallic, such material coming in the form of thin sheets and the machine for tipping the laces w'ith such material necessarily included a mechanism for cutting from such sheet material a strip of sufficient length and width to form a tip which was afterwards, by other instrumentalities, applied to the end of a lacing, ordinarilya fabric lacing; Such machines operated, necessarily, at a relatively low speed due to the fact that they were non-automatic in character and could only operate as fast as lacings couldbe fed to the machine, the tippingmaterial applied there'- to. and then fedout of the machine, the aor, regardless of how skilled she u'ngnt be. having to wait until the completion of the preceding operation before initiating the succeeding operation. ,In my (lG'VQldPl tent of this art, and particularly by the use of tipp ng material in liquid or. plastic condition. it was soon found that the proces' es heretofore employed and the machine: utilisedfor carrying out' such processes were too slOW in view of the speed at which a machine should be capable of being operated; that is, the time :between the tippingoperations on successive lacings' was too long although it was found that such length of time was necessary in order to successfully tip a lacing with liquid or plas' ie non-metallic material.

Vith a view to speeding up the operation of tipping a lacing. I have invented the improved and novel proce s forming the subthe present invention and icci manor am enabled to have a plurality of lacings arranged in succession and on which the tip-' The object of my invention, therefore, is

an improved process of tipping lacings' with tipping material in liquid, strip, sheet. pow: dered or plastic form and of either metallic or non-metallic material.

In practicing'my invention, I preferably use the mechanism described and claimedin my copending application above referredto andwherein the rotating element carries a plurality of equally spaced forming and heating dies, each of the forming'and heating. dies being adapted to be brought successively into alignment with a device for feeding in succession a plurality of lacings, the tips of which are impregnated with the liquid or plastic tipping material. the tipping'operation being completed as the dies rotate. with the holder and at a certain point in the operation of such device the fully tipped lacings are ejected from the dies.

In'the accompanying drawings illustrating so much as is" necessary to understand my improved process,

Fig. 1 is a right hand elevation, and v Fig; 2 is a vertical central sectional elevation with the multiple die turret shown in elevation. I

Referring. to the drawings, designates a base or'p'edestal to the top of which is secured a casing 11 on which is'mounted the working parts of the appa "atus. Rotatably mounted in suitable bearings in the base 10 and drivenfromany suitable source ofipower. is a vertically arranged shaft 12 This shaftextends upwardly through the base 10 and through the casing 11 and is provided with suitable mechanism by which it is con nected to, and drives. the shaft 1?) rotatahl mounted in suitable bearings in the casing 11'. Secured to the shaftlS in any suitable manner is a disc or circular plate 14 to onevface of which is secured in any suitable manner a plurality of radially disposed dies.

Each of the dies referred to is comprised of a hollow body'n'iember 15 having one face thereof provided with a slot or groove 16 and the outer end of the member 15 has formed thereon an extension 17 on the top face of which is secured, by bolts 18, die plates 19, a pair of these plates being provided and the plates being separated from. each other to provide a slot or space therebetween. The upper faces of the die plates are each provic ed with a groove 20 in alignment with each other and which form a hook or seat in which the portion of the lacing that is to be tipped is fitted. On the side or end of the member 1'? remote from the circular plate 14 and adjacent to the outermost die plate 19 is arranged a slot. On the outer face of the member 15 is pivotally mounted by means of a screw 21 a lacing clamp lever 22, one end of which is adapted to move to a position in a plane that is substantially the plane in which lies the top surface of the die plate 19 while the other end is provided with an outwardly extending pin 23. Between the pivot screw 21 and the outwardly extending pin 23 on the lacing clamp lever 22 is attached one end of a spring 24, the other end of this spring being attached to a pin 25 on the member 15. The duplicate of the lacing clamping arrangement just referred to as being mount- .ed on the outer face of the member 15 is mounted on the face of the plate 14 furthermost removed from the described clamping device so that there is, in this manner, arranged a clamping device on each side of v the die plate f9 and it will be noted that the springs 24 tend to force the clamping end of the clamp member 22 into position to clamp and engage a length of lacing that may be in position across the face of the die plate 19. Slidably mounted in the interior of tne member 15 in. a direction toward and from the die plates 19 is a member 26, the lower forward end of which is cut away to receive a die 27 provided on its under lower surface with a hook-like portion 28 corresponding in contour and size with the grooved portion 20 in the die plate 19, with which grooved or hook-like portion it is designed to work. A die 27 equal to the width of the pair of die plates 19 and such dies 27 are separated from each other a suffic ent distance to allow the insertion between them of a cutter attached to the member 26. This cutter is of a width to enable it to be a free sliding it in the slot formed between the die plates 19 so that. if a lacing is clamped by the clamps 22 across the face of the die plates 19 and the member 26 recip- 'rncated. bringing the die 27 into position with relation to the die plate 19, the cutting edge of the cutter will shear off a length of lacing equal to the width of the slot between the die plates 19 and thus sever a predetermined length of lacing from a lacing of 111- determinate length. The member 26 is slidably mounted in the hollow member 15 and the adjusting member (not shown) is controlled by means of the adjusting screws 29 to control the freedom of movement of the member 26. The rear end of the member 26 is slotted and such end is also provided with a transverse hole in which fits a shaft 30 which has formed on its outer end an eccentric and on such shaft in the slot is arranged a roller 31. Means are-provided for clamping the shaft by this eccentric in the member 26. Secured to a fixed portion of the casing 11 is an operating cam 32 and also secured to a tiXedport-ion of the casing 11 is a cam 33 in position to engage with the rollers 31 on the ends of the members 26. Referring to Fig. 2, it will be seen that, on the plate 14, is arranged a plurality of members 17 equally and radially spaced about the circumference of such member 14 and in operative relation to the cams 32 and 33. lVere the plate 14 to rotate, due to the rotation of the shaft 13, it willbe obvious that the die structure has the reci rocatin member 26 thereof in its rearmost position. By reason of the fact that, on the assumption that the member or plate 14 is rotating in the direction of the arrow shown, the eccentric 30 will be just coming out of engagement with the fixed cam plate 33. In this position of the die structure, it will be apparent that the die 27 is in its real-most position with respect to the die plate 19. As the plate 14 rotates, bringing the die structure into the next uppermost position, the roller 31 will be engaged by the stationary cam 32 and, as the roller 31 rides on the cam surface, the member 26 will be moved radially outward with respeet to the center of rotation of the plate 14, bringing the die 27 into its outermost position where it will be retained until the continued rotation brings the eccentric 30 into engagement with .the fixed cam 33 when such cam will move the member 26 and the die 27 to its left or rearmost position.

'Rotatably mounted in suitable bearings in the casing 11 and parallel to each other are shafts 34 and to the outer ends of each of which are secured sprockets 36, the sprockets on each side of the casing being in alignment with each other and over which run feed chains 37. 'lhesefeed chains are constructed of a plurality of link members 38 from each of which protrudes a tooth 39 cylindrical in form. Side plates 40 connect the links 38 together and the side plates are also provided with extensions 41 substantially equal in length to the length of the cylindrical members 39. Referring to Fig. 2, and asnuning the sprockets 36 to be rotating in the direction of the arrow shown, it will be obvious that, as the chain structure moves in engagement with the extreme right hand sprockets 36, the cylindrical member 39 and the extension 41 on the side plates 40 are separated from each other about the pivotal connection of the side plates 40 and the links 38 so as to define an'angular opening 42 therebetween, as viewed in said elevation, and into which angular opening it is possible to feed or place a lacing of any desired length. Assuming that the cylindrical member 39 and the extension 41 have moved from the position indicated by the reference numeral 42 into a substantially horizontal plane, it will be evident that the angular relation ofthe cylindrical member and extension will disappear and the lacing that may have been placed in the angular space 42 will be held or gripped. As there are two of the feed chains, one on each side of the casing 11, and the shafts 34 and 35 are rotated at the same speed and in the same direction because ofthe fact that the sprockets 36 are equal in pitch and diameter, the feed chains 37 move in synchronism and the lacing, having been fed to the feed chains, will be moved along by the feed chains in the direction of the constantly rotating turret member 14 and on which are nounted the die structures. On each side of the member 11 is arranged an adjustable arm 43 at the lower end of which is rotatably mounted an idler sprocket 44 which engages with the lower reach of the feed chains 37 and by means of which the tension of suchchainsmay be adjusted. Secured-t0 the shaft 34 and intermediate the ends thereof is a pinion 45 which meshes with, and is driven by, a gear 46 secured to a shaft 47 rotatably mounted in suitable bearings in the casing 11. Also secured to the shaft 47 is a. ratchet 4.8 which is engaged and driven by a pawl 49 pivotally mounted on an arm 50 rotatably mounted on the shaft 47. To the end of the arm 50 remote from the shaft 47 is pivotally attached one end of a' link 51, the other end of such link being pivotally attached to one end of a lever 52 rotatably mounted intermediate its ends on a stud 53 secured to one side of the casing 11.

On the shaft 12 and intermediate the ends thereof is secured a worm 54 which meshes with, and drives. a worm wheel 55 secured to a horizontal shaft 56 rotatablymounted in suitable hearings in the casing 11. Secured tothe shaft 56 is a cam .57 which engages with a roller 58 rotatably mounted on the lower end of the lever 52 and the cam 57 thus causes an oscillating motion of the lever 52 about its pivot stud Secured to the lever 52 is one end of a spring 59, the other end of this spring being secured to the side of the casing 11 and this spring insures that the roller 58 on the lever 52 is retained in engagement with the face of the cam 57. If the cam shaft 56 is rotated in the direction of the arrow shown, an oscillating movement will be imparted to the lever 52 and thus an intermittent rotary motion is imparted to the shaft '47. This intermittent rotary, movement of the shaft 47 imparts, through the gear 51 and pinion 45, an intermittent rotary motion to the shaft 34 which, in turn, imparts an intermittent step by step movement to the feed chains 37 from the sprockets toward the constantly rotating die turret.

Secured to the casing 11 between the feed chains 37 and adjacent to the shaft 35 is a tank 60 in which is placed any suitable molded or moldable material, preferaby a material capable of being softened under the influence of heat, although dry powdered material may be employed. Rotatably mounted in the casing 11 and extending through the tank 60 and parallel to the shaft 35 is a shaft 61. Secured to said shaft 61 and lying within the tank 60 is an arm 62 which extends toward the shaft 36. Also secured to the shaft 61, but without the tank 60- and extending downwardly is' arm 63, the lower end .of which lies in the path of'movement of a pin extending laterally outward from a lever 64, which lever is rotatably mounted on a stud 65 secured to the casing 11. The lower end of the lever 64 is provided with a roller 66 that is in engagement with a cam 67 secured to the shaft 56. Secured to the lever 64 is one end of a spring 68, the other end of this spring being secured in any suitable manner to the casing 11 and the spring keeps the roller 66 in engagement with the cam 67. Oscillating movement of the lever 64 will cause an up ward and downward movement of the arm 62; The end of the arm 62 is provided with a pad 69 and on the end of the arm 62 is pivotally attached an arm 70 provided with a pad 71 that cooperates with the pad 69. Associated with the pivoted member 70 is an arm that is attached to the top end of a vertically mounted shaft 72 mounted in suitable bearings'in the casing 11 and to the lower end of the shaft 72 secured an arm 73 the end of which is in engagement with an arm 74 secured to the shaft 56. Secured to the shaft 72 adjacent to its lower end is an arm 7 5'to the outer end of which is secured one end of a spring 76 and the other end of this spring is secured to the lower bearing for the shaft 72. this spring maintaining the outer end of-the arm 73 in engagement with the operating surface of the cam 74. Rotation of the cam shaft 56 will cause the cam 74, through the arm 73, to impart an oscillatory movement to the arm at the top of the shaft 72 and this movement is so timed with relation to the oscillatory movement imparted to the shaft til that the end of said arm will engage with the pivoted member Tl) tO-DIOVQ the pad 71 into engagement with the pad 65) when the arm 62 is in its uppermost position thereby squeezing out of the lacing s plus molded or mold able material that may have been placed therein when the pads were moved upward out of the body of material within the tank 60.

The upper reaches of the conveyor chains 37 lie in horizontal planes and move between heating devices 77 and 78 so that the lacing, as it moves to the left as viewed in the figures, carries the impregnated portion thereof between such heating devices '7? and 78 to thereby treat or season such material so that, by the time the lacing has reached the die structures above described, the material will be in the best physical condition for subsequent operations to be performed thereon. The rotary movement of the conveyor chains 37 is so timed as to bring a length of lacing with a portion thereof impregnated with the molded or moldable material into position to be engaged by the top surface of the die members 19 and to be moved along such die surfaces into the transverse groove 83. The block 40 moving outward radially with respect to the shaft 13 moves the die member 27 thereon into engagement with the die block 19 and the die members are maintained in position until the die has its roller 31 engaged by the cam plate 33, which cam plate operates to separate the die 26, from the die plate 19. The die in its onward movement has the pins 2 :3 thereon enga ed by a cam member 79 secured to the casing 11. The lacing being now released from the die mechanism, falls of its own we it and is caught in a bight on a hook 80 secured to any convenient portion of the machine. It will thus be apparent that a lacing is maintained in the die str cture from the point indicated at A while the turret plate 14 rotates in the direction of the arrow shown and until the point A has moved to the point B through more than three-quarters of a circle. It will be obvious. therefore, that, before the completely tipped lacing will have been discharged from the die mechanism at the point ll, live other lac-lugs will be carried by such turret mechanism and all of such lacings will be in different stages of completion. The number of die mechanisms carried by the turret plate 14; will vary according to the material en'i 'iloycd and the heat applied to the material prior to placing the impregnated lacing in the die mechanisn'is. ll'ith the material at present employed, 1 have found that six die mechanisms are amply sul'iicient to fully complete the tipping proc ess and for this reason have shown but six die mechanisms. It is to be understood, however, that l am not limited to the exact number shown and may vary the number employed at will and without departing from the spirit of the invention. The essential and outstandii'ig fact in my invention is that I do not have to operate on, and complete, the tipping of a lacing before initiating a subsequent tipping operation on a st cceedu'ig lacing, but am enabled to speed up the tippii'ig operation by keeping a plurality of lacing in process of manufacture at the same time. So far as I am aware, this is new in this art and I desire to claim the same broadly. 1n the above description, only so much of the mechanism has been illustrated or described as is absolutely essential to a correct understanding of the method of practicing my improved process and I am not to be limited to a machine of the exact details of construction either shown or described. I have, however, found the present machine to be adequate for the purpose of practicing my invention and as such machine is that illustrated and described in my copending application above ref rred to, reference is hereby made to such copending application for a fuller and more complete description of the details of construction and manner of operation of such machine.

While I have defined the present process as a method of tipping laces, this being the common term in the trade, particularly when a non-metallic tip is desired, I believe that my method as herein explained and defined in the appended claims, is a distinct novelty when either a molded tip from moldable material, such the tipping material herein explained, as preferable, as well as when using metallic, sheet or strip tipping material for tagging lacing, as this term is usually employed. So far as I am advised, the method of tipping, tagging, reinforcing or stiffening the ends of laces by operating upon a plurality, continuously, successively, and a plurality of the same simultaneously, is a distinct novelty, and'as this permits great speed in handling and the distinctly automatic machinery, I believe that I am entitled to claim the same broadly.

lVhile I believe the use of moldable nonmetallic tipping material to be a most desirable, feasible and commercial article for use in carrying out my process, yet I believe the process is equally applicable to the employment of other material, such for example as powdered b-akelite, sheet or strip material of any sort, and moldable material, dry, plastic, liquid or solid, and irrespective of how the same is supplied to the lacing. My machine operates upon a plurality of these laces with tioping material, performing the successive steps upon one set or plurality of lacings, while still performing other steps upon a succeeding or preceding plurality. Thus I'am enabled to treat one or more laces, during one step of the process, while treatin preferably by holding in a die for the finishing molding action, one or more other laces which have already been subjected to the preliminary treatment. Thus I am enabled to utilize the time element necessary for completing the molding action, at great speed and without delaying the reception of a succeeding molding action upon the next lacing, or upon a plurality of succeeding lacings. In other words, I thus eliminate the delay necessarily involved in the lace tip molding operation utilizing a die action.

My invention is further described and dclined in the form of claims as follows:

1. The improved process of tipping laces, which consists in supplying lace tipping material to the portion of the lace to be tipped, subjecting said portion and the material thereon to pressure for an appreciable length of time, andapplying pressure to a succeeding lacing during the compressing operation on the first lacing.

2. The improved process of tipping laces, which consists in supplying tipping material to a portion of the lace to be tipped, subjecting said portion and the material thus applied, to successive operations, including a compressing operation, and continuing the compressing operation upon a plurality of material treated laces during the material applying operation on a plurality of succeeding laces.

3. The improved process of tipping laces with moldable material, which consists in applying material to a portion of the lacing, subjecting the said portion to pressure for a sufficient length of time to set the moldab-le material thereon, and meanwhile repeating the pressure operation on a succeeding lacing before completing the first lacing.

4. The improved process of tipping laces with molded or moldable material which consists in impregnating a portion ot the lacing with tipping material, subjecting the.

tipping material to pressure for an appreciable length of time and repeating this operation on a succeeding lacing before completing the compressing operation on the first lacing.

5. That improved process of tipping laces which consists in impregnating a lacing with tipping material, subjecting the treated lacing to pressure for an appreciable length of time, impregnating a plurality of lacings in succession with molded material and subjecting such plurality of succeeding lacings to pressure before the compressing operation is completed on the first lacing.

6. That improved process of tipping lacings with molded or moldable material which consists in treating a plurality of lacings in succession with such material, passing the treated lacings in succession through a heating zone, subjecting the plurality of heated andtreated lacings simultaneously to a compressing operation, which compressing operation is completed in succession on the plurality of lacings.

7. That improved process of tipping lacings with molded or moldable material which consists in treating a plurality of lacings in succession with such material, passing the treated lacings in succession through a heating process, and subjecting the treated and heated lacings to a compressing opera tion, such compressing operation being such that a plurality of lacings are operated on simultaneously, and the operation being completed in succession on the plurality of lacings.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification.

CARL A. MATSON. 

